


Snow day gone wrong

by MikeAllenZ



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Big Sister Raps, Hurt/Comfort, Little Brother Varian, PTSD!Varian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 07:56:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21096050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikeAllenZ/pseuds/MikeAllenZ
Summary: Varian didn’t think he’d have a bad reaction to the snow. He just wanted to have a nice time with his friends. But PTSD really sucks.





	Snow day gone wrong

“Come on slowpoke!” Rapunzel grabbed his arm and ran him towards the door “This only happens like once a year, we have to make it count.”

Varian was excited to finally play out in the snow. To feel like a child again. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance had invited him along and he was just happy to feel apart of the group. And he hadn’t been out in the snow since... well... not something he wants to recall. He was excited to finally make some good memories in that fluffy white stuff.

She brought him to the entrance of the castle where the guys were waiting. They were already geared up. And Rapunzel and Varian only had to get on their boots and hats. Varian had put custom warmers in his hat, a design he was testing out for maximum warmth as they played. 

“You coming?” Raps asked as they were already outside. The door open, the frigid air breaking in. 

“Just a second. I just have to turn these things on.” He rubbed his hands on the hat. It was designed to use friction to warm the head, but specifically the ears.

Rapunzel shrugged and ran outside, immediately starting a snowball fight with her friends. Varian nodded and looked to Ruddiger who was waiting inside for him to finish while the other animals were out with the humans. Even the cold blooded Pascal. 

Varian got it to just the right temperature. It was nice when inventions worked out. He got to the door with a smile, right where the floor met the snow, giggling as his friends play around. Ready to play as well. 

But then he looked down. He didn’t know what it was but that border where the fancy carpet met the snow freaked him out. He suddenly looked back forward and froze. 

Suddenly he was back to where he was years ago. Being tossed out of this very door by guards into this very same white stuff. And he gulped. He’s shook. He could hear Rapunzel through the haze. “Come on Varian. The snow is fine.” She called out “I promise”

“I promise I’ll keep you safe,” she said

“I promise I’ll keep your village safe” she said

“We can fix this, I promise you” she said “I promise”

Nonono. He knows better now than to doubt Rapunzel. She kept her word. But why was he so terrified? He felt like that scared child again about to brave the harsh snowstorm, making a decision that would be the first in a line of very bad ones. 

“Come on buddy” he suddenly heard a voice say as a figure picked him up. It was Lance. He had swooped in to save the day, bringing him to where everyone else was. “Varian’s on my team! You got the buff girl with the catapult hair, I get to have the alchemist with incredible aim. It’s only fair.” And Lance suddenly, unaware of what exactly he was doing, gently put Varian down in the snow.

Everything went white. Again. He couldn’t help seeing that color. It was the only thing he saw for hours on end that day. The grueling trip there and back. Desperately trying to save his father or feeling defeat and betrayal, tears running down his face both ways.

What everyone around him heard was a bloodcurdling scream come from him. And they could clearly see tears streaming down his eyes. It was immediately clear this wasn’t normal. 

~ 

Varian’s vision became clearer the second he was inside. He wasn’t carried by Lance this time. This time it was Rapunzel. Two arms out and she was out of breath. Very clear that she raced at top speed to carry him back inside. And she quickly sat him down on a nearby bench. But not near enough that they were near the outside, something Rapunzel could easily logic her way into figuring out was the cause of the problem.

Eugene, Lance, Pascal, and even Max finally caught up. She had immediately jumped into action and ran like a madwoman back inside. It was impressive really. She should be a firefighter or a lifeguard.

They could see the screaming had stopped but tears still persisted. He now had some semblance of consciousness as he could clearly see that he was now surrounded by friends. But he still shook. The only ones who dared to get close were Rapunzel and Ruddiger, who hadn’t even made it outside much at all before the incident happened, and was now immediately on the bench besides him. 

“Varian. Are you okay?” She asked as gentle as she could be

He nods no and Rapunzel quickly hugs him. While the hug is still going on, she heard the first, yet very soft and shaken, words out of his mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” She pulls back a bit

“I didn’t think that would happen. I didn’t mean to ruin the fun. I thought I could take it.”

“Oh Varian...” she frowns “Don’t ever feel bad about that. It’s understandable why you’d react badly to that. I’m sorry we didn’t realize.”

He doesn’t respond back, he just nods and shivers.

It’s just then that Stan and Pete arrive in a rush. “Princess, we heard a scream, is everything alright?” 

She turns to them “There’s no threat. Varian just had a panic attack. Just...” she goes to give an order but then looks back to Varian “Do remember the psychiatrist that my dad set you up with?”

He nods and answered softly “Yea but he... he’s not here. He was Andrew’s inside man. The reason we escaped.”

“Do you still want one?”

He takes a second “I don’t know”

Raps takes a deep breath to think about this for a second and then turns to Stan and Pete once more. “Get me a list of the kingdom’s best psychiatrists. I’ll interview them myself if I have to, just give me a list.”

“Yes Princess. Right away.” They rush off. 

Rapunzel, in the same manner, immediately turns to Eugene and Lance. “Eugene go close that door and check if any nearby windows are still open. And Lance, for the love of Corona we need to get this boy some of your Hot Cocoa”

“Right away sunshine!”

“Coming right up.” They obediently obey.

She turns back to Varian, her expression going back to being soft and welcoming “What do you need?”

He thought about it for a second. He’s had anxiety attacks ever since that fateful day. For a year they were barely managed at all. He doubts he would’ve survived without Ruddiger. Once he had his dad back he finally had someone to assist and that helped. But he had never had one as bad as the one he just experienced. He didn’t know what he wanted. He was shaken.

“I don’t know” he admits, “Can you just... stay with me.”

She nods and quickly sits by his side. Max brings over a blanket he wraps around the frightened friend. “Thanks Max” Rapunzel pets him and smiles at Varian, who happens to have Ruddiger in his lap and he was letting him. 

She knew of the healing and emotional support having an animal's love can bring you. She often felt that warm comfort from Pascal and he’s cold blooded. There’s nothing quite like that bond. 

“He really helps a lot huh?” She asks

“Allot” Varian nods. He finds himself resting his head on her shoulder the opposite one to the one Pascal currently sits in. Pascal had previously guessed he would need that. “I don’t know how I would’ve survived without Ruddiger”

She let him rest. It was times like this where she had to remind herself that despite his intelligence, his wit, and just how dangerous he could be, he was really just a scared kid. And she was proud to have seen him overcome problems even if it took alot of mistakes to get there.

Her mind went to that snowstorm as well. She had almost lost a lot that night too. And she thinks of how she could’ve done things better. How she would’ve handled it now that she’s not just a capable warrior, but a capable leader as well. First things first, she would not have let the guards kick him out. And secondly, she would’ve suggested to him that he help with their snowstorm problem. Rapunzel is a very logical woman, something Varian and his practically unlimited intelligence seems to lack, but she knows that he would’ve been a great help in that situation. But most of all she regrets not searching harder for him afterwards. Not that she didn’t try, she did. But she gave up sooner rather than kept on trying. She ignored the problem until it came back to haunt her.

It’s amazing to think that out of all the dangerous monsters and criminals she has defeated, the cute freckled boy nuzzled into her for protection was once one of the most dangerous enemies her kingdom had ever faced. And now he’s the little brother she had always kind of wanted. There was still fear and anxiety but the loyalty and admiration he showed for her could only match that of a younger sibling. And she desperately wanted to make sure she granted that protection. Perhaps that’s why she was so quick in fixing the problem. She was always the protector, the hero. 

“Varian?”

“Hmm?” 

“Thank you”

His head suddenly peeked up, surprised by the response “Why?”

“We’re there for each other. That means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

“Your welcome” he doesn’t know what to make of that, so he just goes back to quiet. There’s comfort in the quiet. One that can’t quite be explained for...

“WHO HAS HOT COCOA! LANCE DOES!” Lance suddenly broke the silence.


End file.
